Page 1 of I Hate You More

Prologue

Ally

Age Fourteen

There wassomething magical about school dances. The bright lights of the basketball court were dimmed and the squeaking of sneakers against the hardwood floor was a distant memory as the gym was transformed into a glittering wonderland. Strobe lights flickered against the ceiling while smoke wafted across the ground, swirling as it ebbed and flowed around the dancing students. The music thrumming through the room made me feel like anything was possible—and I was counting on thatanythingtonight.

“Stop wringing your hands, you look incredible!” Tessa said as we entered the school gym. I’d never spent much time worrying about my hair or makeup before, but tonight was different. This dance was different. And I really hoped that everything went according to plan.

“Thanks.” I gave my best friend a warm smile. She’d tortured me for hours with her curling wand and makeup kit, but I’d never been more grateful for the fact she was a girly-girl. I felt like a frog she’d turned into a princess, and I was desperately hoping my Prince Charming would notice because all I was missing was his kiss.

“You look incredible too,” I added—not that she’d ever believe me. Tessa had flawless pale skin with deep-chocolate-colored hair and warm brown eyes. She’d applied a soft shimmer of golden eye shadow that really made her eyes pop, and her long hair was up in a messy ponytail.

She was absolutely gorgeous, but because she didn’t have a cheerleader’s physique, platinum-blonde hair, and a golden fake tan, none of the idiot boys we went to school with paid her the attention she deserved. She always struggled to realize her own beauty too, and she simply shrugged my compliment off.

“How are you handling the heels?” she asked.

I glanced down at the death traps she’d strapped to my feet. “Well, I’ve only rolled my ankle twice and haven’t fallen yet, so I’d say we’re doing okay.”

Tessa laughed. “It’s a miracle you’ve made it this far in life in one piece. You are a walking bundle of chaos.”

“I’m not that bad…”

“Ah, yeah, you are.”

My ankles wobbled a little, threatening to prove me wrong, and I instinctively reached out to grab hold of Tessa’s wrist to steady myself. “Okay, so maybe I’m a little clumsy,” I admitted, once I had found my feet again. “But I’m blaming the shoes.”

“The shoes are too pretty to be blamed,” she shot back instantly, making me laugh.

I was still smiling as I focused on the students packed onto the dance floor. “Do you see Declan anywhere?” I stretched my neck back and pushed up onto my tiptoes as I attempted to catch sight of him over the sea of heads. The crowd was almost hypnotic as they rocked back and forth in a rhythmic swirl to the beat of the music, but there was no sign of Declan among them.

Tessa laughed and tugged me back to the ground. “Relax. I’m sure he’s here and he’ll find you. Operation First Kiss is going to work.”

I blushed as Tessa mentioned the plan we’d come up with for tonight. I’d decided Declan was going to be my first kiss and that tonight was the night it was going to happen. My dad didn’t let me go on dates with boys, so I couldn’t let the opportunity this dance provided pass me by. If my dad got his way, I’d be an old lady before I had my first kiss.

Our plan was fairly straightforward. The first step had been allowing Tessa to dress me and attack me with her makeup tools. That part had been easy enough even if I nearly lost an eye when she came at me with the mascara. Step two could only begin once I found Declan. I had to get him to dance with me, which made my stomach flutter with nerves.

Asking a boy to dance wasn’t going to be easy, but I was far more daunted by step three. Thinking of the final step made me queasy, and I really hoped I’d be confident enough to go through with it. According to the plan, when a slow song came on, I would move toward Declan so our bodies were nice and close. Then, provided everything went well, and I had the courage, I would reach up and kiss him.

Thinking through the plan now, I was beginning to wonder if it had been a bit too optimistic. So much could go wrong, and I hadn’t even spotted Declan at the dance yet. I couldn’t exactly kiss him if he wasn’t here.

Sensing my unease, Tessa continued. “Look, he’s been flirting with you in English for weeks.”

“I guess.”

“Plus, he’s the one who came up to you and said he couldn’t wait to see you tonight and that you had to save him a dance, remember?”

I chewed on my lower lip as I nodded. “I just don’t know what that even means. Was he only being nice, or does he legitimately want to dance with me? How do we even know that means he wants to kiss me?” I blew out a breath and shook my head, annoyed at myself for letting a boy get me so flustered and confused. It never seemed quite so complicated in books or movies. “Why don’t boys come with a handbook?”

“Because they’re not as evolved as girls and I’m not a hundred percent sure guy language has a direct translation to girl.”

I laughed. “True,” I agreed, as I continued to scan the dance floor. My lips lifted in a half-smile as I noticed my brother and his best friend enter the gym. I nodded in their direction. “And there’s a perfect example of two of the male species who still speak Neanderthal.”

Tessa followed my gaze and frowned as she caught sight of them. They were looking around the room as if they were searching for someone. “Shane’s not so bad.”

I rolled my eyes at her. Tessa had a massive crush on my twin brother—not that she’d ever admit it aloud. It was plain for all to see though. Shane could do no wrong in her eyes.

“Fine. Just Chase then,” I corrected myself.

---